Haunted
by ro-iro38
Summary: Kaoru always felt awkward around her new husband. But their house in India seems to be having strange effects on him. And this is a good thing...right? Preview for a larger work. Shinta x Kenshin x Kaoru


OK....yes I'm still alive, first of all. I have only one word for you all: College. Those of you who know, that should pretty much excuse me. For the rest of you, just trust me. Point being, I really haven't been able to write like I've wanted, but I did write this as a contest entry back in November. However, I'll be out in the middle of the woods for the next eight weeks, so I've decided to publish this preview of a much larger story. I want you guys to tell me what you think and I'll start writing the beginning and middle (and perhaps completely revamping the end). So leave me some reviews, this will defienitely be slow-going as far as updates. Hopefully during the week I'll be able to pen things the old fashioned way (pencil and paper) but I'm not making any promises. Anyway, enough of my silly blather, on with the preview.

Title: Haunted

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,567

"And these are the bedchambers, My Lady," the maid smirked sickly as she pushed open the heavy dark door and waited forthe woman following her to enter.

Kaoru gave the older woman a disapproving glance before taking a small step into the room. It was dark, decorated by dark heavy drapery and dark woods. It was very large and the woman couldn't help but feel like a small insignificant spec in such a desolate place. It looked as though it had been freshly furnished (though she didn't recognize the style or the furnishings at all), but as though not a single human soul had ever entered it. She quickly retreated into the large, well-lit hallway and tried to give the servant as stern a look as possible.

Kaoru was well accustomed to being the victim of vicious attacks by the people that her father, and now her husband, employed. Plus, now having to live in a new country, faraway from Japan, made her the foreigner, the strange one.

Kenshin often told her that India was still apart of Asia, but Kaoru had never seen any Asians of such a deep skin color and seriously doubted his correctness.

"Will that be all, My Lady?" the woman interrupted Kaoru's musings with her broken Japanese—a convention taken only because Kaoru had adamantly refused to speak any language but her own in her own home. She was a Japanese woman and honestly, it wasn't like she'd asked her husband to move them to India. "Lady?" the woman interrupted Kaoru's musings yet again and Kaoru looked up sharply, noticing the condescending amusement and a hint of knowing fear in the woman's eyes.

"Yes, leave me now." The command had been harsher than she'd intended, but Kaoru was well past the point of caring. It wasn't really in her character to act rude or stand-offish to anybody, but this house had aroused a change in her, and it was something Kaoru had finally decided to succumb to.

She'd been taking a tour of the house by order of Kenshin: useful, but dreadfully boring. The house was large and awe inspiring, but also a bit frightening. The dark paneled walls seemed to whisper sinisterly when she was alone, and something about the entire property managed to kill all the vibrancy and life from the city as soon you stepped on the grounds. This was true for all parts of the home except for one—a delightful place tucked away in the gardens behind the massive home that Kaoru had found while exploring one day.

And at the current moment, all Kaoru wished to do was rid herself of the troublesome maid and curl up under 'her tree' and take a long leisurely nap.

The maid eyed her for a moment but hid her thoughts well. "Of course, my lady." the maid bowed her head and began to walk away but stopped short and turned to regard Kaoru again with scrutiny and suspicion. "A word of advice, lady. This house is ancient and it is rumored in the city of restless spirits roaming these halls—the previous owner had very strange ways about him,"

Kaoru didn't change her expression. "Nonsense," she scoffed and turned her head to the side. "Thank you, though." She whispered this last part and waved the maid away.

When she was sure that the woman was gone, Kaoru allowed a bright smile to flit across her face as she gathered her heavy skirts and took off quickly for the maze-like gardens in the back of the home. They were large and intricate, full of all types of indigenous and exotic flowers that Kaoru had never seen before. She knew almost instinctively that it had been present on the grounds when Kenshin decided to buy the house a month ago; it was likely it had even fallen into ruin and the maids had been ordered to beautify it by the time of her arrival. Kenshin was certainly not a man to try to cater to the aesthetic charms and whims of a woman; he barely looked at Kaoru without making her cringe in fear. But that was just as well because that it meant that nobody cared too much for or about the gardens and that Kaoru could pass many hours there in solitude.

Sitting under her tree, Kaoru could already feel herself drifting off to sleep in the heat of the late morning sun. She tried her best to get comfortable between the large gnarled roots, but ended up cradling her head between the crook of her left arm with her elbow jutting and her back bent painfully. Even still, Kaoru knew it was an infinitely better place to be than inside that oppressive house with her even more oppressive husband…

"That does not look very comfortable, Kaoru,"

Kaoru started at the voice and gazed upon the heavy boots with a rising sense of dismay. Nobody on the grounds was allowed to call her by her name anymore. No one except one person… "Kenshin," she tried to suppress a yawn but failed miserably.

"How long have you been sleeping here, darling?" he asked, his voice bemused as took off his suit coat and placed it on the dirt before sitting down next to her.

Kaoru could only gape at her husband as he smirked at her alluringly; he never expressed any emotion towards her other than exasperation and he _certainly_ never called her by any type of endearment. He was looking at her kindly, his face somehow softer—the harsh lines she was used to had seemed to melt into his countenance, exposing him as the handsome man that he was. "I—I don't know. Kenshin are you feeling alright?"

Kenshin chuckled lowly. "Of course I'm feeling okay. Are you? You look a little perturbed." He reached forward and tapped her cheek gently.

Kaoru drew back from his touch, not accustomed to it being so…caring. The samll gesture had left a tingling sensation that was both exciting adn frightening. "I'm fine," she said after clearing her throat.

Kenshin looked at her with a raised brow but didn't press any further. "Have you finished a tour of the property?" Kaoru nodded, her face suddenly sullen. "What's the matter, darling?"

There it was again—that endearment that was so unlike the man she'd married.

Kaoru did not attempt to hide her disdain. "Kenshin…I do not like the servants here. They are all always watching me with fear in their eyes,"

Kenshin chuckled. "Perhaps they see such a lovely Japanese woman as yourself and are unaware of how to react to you."

"They don't like me. They're suspicious of me, even!" Kaoru huffed indignantly, ignoring his comment. "They also seemed thoroughly convinced that the estate is haunted or something of the sort. How ridiculous, right?"

"Haunted…as in by spirits?" Kenshin asked, amused. He hooked a finger under her chin and forced her gaze to focus on his, violet eyes sparkling knowingly. "Please, Kaoru. I'd like to know what they say,"

Kaoru gulped audibly and found that his gentle hold wouldn't allow her to look away. "I—I don't know much about it. The maid just told me that there were spirits in the house,"

Kenshin smirked attractively and Kaoru found herself, for the first time, wanting to actually _bed_ her husband. Blushing, Kaoru managed to turn her head away as Kenshin dropped his hand and leaned back against the tree. "Spirits in the house, you say? Interesting…" he closed his eyes and threaded his fingers behind his head, nudging his wife's foot and urging her to do the same.

After some hesitation, she leaned back and shot him a suspicious glance. "I thought you had work to do today?"

"I always have work, Kaoru. Is it not normal for one to need a break every once and a while?" he replied without missing a beat. Neither of them seemed to track how long they'd been there, but Kaoru felt herself jostled and blankly realized that she must've dozed off at some point. Kenshin was wearing his suit coat again and kneeling in front of her, the sun rather low behind his head. "I've spent entirely too long away from my desk. I'm afraid I have to go back to work."

She frowned as she sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Oh, okay."

He stood to leave, then turned back and gave her a crooked smile. "Enjoy your evening, Kaoru."

Kaoru frowned again. "What, why? Won't you be down for supper?"

Giving her a serious look, he said "Kaoru, my work is very trying. It puts me, usually, in a terrible mood and I'm afraid I wouldn't be any sort of company at the table. The house makes me terribly cranky, although I don't know why. I do wish things were different, but…" he trailed off and looked past Kaoru for a moment before giving her a devilish and almost frightening grin. "I will do all that I can to be here with you, more. It's nice." and then he turned and walked behind the tree, and when Kaoru twisted around, he was gone.

The woman couldn't decipher his actions and spent a few long lonely moments trying to figure them out before she heard the soft footsteps of a new guest. "My Lady! Here you are! We've been looking for you for a very long time,"

A young girl ran around the tree, her face alight with joy for finding the lady of the estate. "Why?" Kaoru asked as she straightened her skirts and stood up, brushing herself off.

"Its supper time, of course," the girl frowned. Kaoru practically rolled her eyes. Hadn't Kenshin JUST told her that? "My Lady, if I may, it isn't a very good idea to stay in these gardens for too long,"

"And why not?" Kaoru asked softly, her natural abilities with children coming to the fore.

"There's a spirit around; it is cursed here. He takes many forms and is a master in trickery," the young girl whispered, her voice soft and fearful.

"Don't worry. I was just out here with my husband; there is nobody out here except us," Kaoru reassured the girl with a confident smile, to which the girl responded with a shaky smile of her own.

* * *

Kaoru licked her dry lips as she approached her large tree, hoping that Kenshin would meet her there, especially since she hinted to him every morning at breakfast. He barely acknowledged her then, but he was always at the tree when she turned around. "You know, I very much enjoy the espionage, Kaoru, but this _our_ home and we may go where we like."

Kaoru jumped as she turned to see Kenshin emerging from behind a group of tall bushes. She placed her hand over her thrumming heart and gave him a solid glare. "What espionage?"

"Your hints at breakfast this morning were amusing, but honestly, secrecy is not necessary," he repeated as he took her hand and helped lower her to the ground.

Kaoru looked up at him and watched him drape his suit coat on the ground beneath him before sitting himself, like so many times before. "Kenshin, I've told you, the servants won't cease with this incessant talk of the spirit that supposedly lives in these gardens! I'd rather not let them continue to think that I'm some sort of witch coming to plot and scheme."

"They are liable to do that anyway, my dear." Kenshin hummed as he slowly encase her fingers within his own. "You are a foreigner, a stranger. And I am sure they think your gorgeous blue eyes are beacons to the other world." Kaoru gave him the most puzzled look and he tapped her on the nose softly. "The Evil Eye, darling."

Kaoru then averted said eyes and stared at their joined hands for the longest time before murmuring, "Maybe…" she sighed, squeezing his fingers. "I wish you were always like this, Kenshin…that _we_ were always like this. Why are you so cold outside of—"

Kenshin cut her off swiftly. "Don't. You don't know what you are saying,"

Kaoru gave him a peculiar look before frowning at him. "Yes I do; I know exactly what I'm saying! What are you, possessed?!" she immediately clamped her mouth shut, eyes wide and fearful.

Kenshin only chuckled and leaned forward. "You have more to say, yes?" his question was voiced more like a command and Kaoru couldn't help but obey.

"I figured it out." she stated, and when his expression remained unchanging, she knew she'd actually solved to great mystery. "I...I know what you are…" she paused, as if unsure of what she would say next. "And I don't care," she said challengingly, meeting his gaze unflinchingly.

Kenshin looked shocked for a split second before a slow, almost predatory smile spread across his lips. "Ah so you've discovered it all."

Kaoru took a deep breath, surprised that the 'vicious spirit' hadn't already ended her life. As it was, his grip on her hand had tightened almost ruthlessly, but she refused to wince or show him any sign of her discomfort. "The man I married has cold golden eyes; yours are violet."

"Simple as that?"

"You resemble him in every other way," she breathed softly, not looking away from his captivating gaze.

"Hmm…this is my natural appearance, darling Kaoru. Perhaps Himura is a reincarnation of my physical form…" Kaoru's eyes widened as he leaned forward and brushed his lips against the shell of her ear. "You know what this means, correct?"

"No!" Kaoru squeaked, somewhat nervous about his proximity.

"You invited me into your home before. I could not enter because you did not know what you were doing. However, now that you know...enough, I am free to take my place by your side. And I _will_ be needing a body—that Himura looks just like me, no?" his voice took on an almost cruel lilt.

Kaoru's eyes widened into saucers and she gasped. "You—you mean you want me to…?"

"I wish only for a body, darling. A particular body, yes, but that's such a small task. The only people that will know are you," he leaned forward and kissed her neck softly. "And me,"

Kaoru suppressed a groan and pushed him away. "Will you make me, Shinta?" she whispered in an almost broken voice.

Shinta's entire face hardened and he grasped her hand tightly again. "Yes."

* * *

Kaoru licked her lips nervously as she stood at the foot of her bed staring at her sleeping husband. As usual, Kenshin pretty much fell straight asleep when his head hit the pillow; it was the tireless hours of work he did each day. Kaoru gripped what she had once heard him call a letter-opener—how darkly ironic that his work would be the end of him now.

Approaching his bed side quietly, she stared down at his relaxed features and thought that maybe…maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He could be loving towards her—perhaps she could mold him into the man she wanted…

"Kaoru. What are you doing?" His cold voice echoed throughout the bedroom and Kaoru cursed herself.

Too late.

She wasted neither time nor energy and shoved the sharp letter opener into his chest, right where she knew his heart to be. Pulling her hand away she stumbled back from the bed with a soft squeal, trying to block out the choking and gasping sounds Kenshin was making.

Running to the large balcony, she swung open the doors and, ignoring the booming storm that raged in the background, screamed out. "SHINTA!!!" Her voice was very nearly lost amidst the thunder, but Kaoru knew that he would hear her. He would have heard her from across the world if he'd wanted. And he would come from as far as well.

Kaoru waited for several minutes, even heard Kenshin draw his last gasping breath, but nothing happened. Her inky hair was plastered to her forehead and her nightgown clung to her body like a second skin. But Kaoru was ignorant to all of this. After a few more minutes, she sighed desolately and turned back to her bedroom, frightened at the prospect of having to explain herself in the morning.

However, when she turned around, there was Kenshin—_Shinta_—standing behind her with the letter opener still protruding from his chest. "Hello my dear," and his smile was all daggers.

* * *

I know it's confusing. And I know it doesn't make much sense. But its a preview, so......Go ahead and review!


End file.
